Matt stayed there waiting for a while, listening carefully, but there was no more sign of whoever those two figures were. That one punch had sent shockwaves for miles and he had still managed to make out their fight until they had finally vanished. That level of power…it sounded like something the Hulk or Thor or that Captain Marvel could do from what he'd heard. Even Luke Cage and Danny Rand's punch against the Hand had been nothing compared to this. Jennifer's punch…maybe. But even her punch against the parking lot felt much lighter compared to this.
"Anything?" T.J. asked.
Matt shook his head. "They're gone now."
"Jesus," Casey muttered. "You said that was a punch? How strong were those guys?"
"Incredibly so," Matt replied. "I could only get a small sense of the power behind that punch and it was enough to level a building. But his opponent shrugged it off and kept fighting. Those are two we do not want to meet."
"No kidding. You know of anyone from…wherever you're from who can do that?"
Matt hesitated. The three of them had managed to arrive here near the same spot and so had decided to stick together. Through light conversation, they had managed to deduce that they might not be from the same places and had unconsciously agreed not to discuss it. Not until they knew more.
"A few," he said. "But I don't recognize whoever those people were."
"Yeah. I have a slight notion of who they could be if they're from my home," Casey said before turning to T.J. "What about you?"
Matt could practically sense T.J. thoughts from the way he was breathing and how it was heart was beating. He knew. Or, if he didn't, he had a pretty close idea. "Perhaps a better notion. Nothing concrete. But I am familiar with those kinds of power levels. I've seen them in action before."
"And?"
"And it would be best to stay clear of them. For now, anyway. We would need to form a plan to be able to take them on. Best to be beneath their notice."
Casey snorted. "I don't really like being 'beneath' anyone's notice, but whatever."
Matt refocused his attention on their surroundings, trying to pick something up. All he could really sense was the feeling of the desert, which was kind of obvious. He could feel the heat baking the sand and he could feel all the individual grains of sand clinging to him, taste them as well. He could hear the wind brushing the dunes below and wafting against the rocks. Smell wasn't really prevalent right now but he could still get some odors, mostly T.J.'s and Casey's smells behind him.
Other than that, nothing. Which was disappointing as they had climbed all the way up here to get him a better vantage point for his radar sense. He could sense the rock formations around him and could even tell there was a system of caves below them, but it was small with nothing inside.
"Sorry guys, looks like this is a bust," he said. "Unless you can see something I can't sense."
"Nope," Casey sighed. "Just a whole lot of nothing. Great. Just freaking great. So now what do we do?"
"This isn't too bad a place to hunker down," T.J. suggested. "We have the high ground. Nothing much can get us here. And we can see them coming easily."
Matt nodded. "Yeah, I agree. But we'll need food and water or else we're not going to last long. The sun will start going down in a few hours so we should try and find something." Even as he said that, he was already doing his best. Food…well, it was a desert so he wasn't optimistic and he hadn't heard or smelled anything yet. Which was surprising. He would have expected to hear the sounds of some kind of desert animal, lizard or snake maybe. Even bugs. But so far, nothing.
Water though…
"I don't have a read on any food, but I think there might be some water below us. There's a cave system. I'll need to get closer but I think I just got something that might be water. I hope anyway."
"Better than nothing," he felt Casey shrug. "Alright, let's climb back down."
"Not the whole way. The entrance is just a few yards that way," he gestured. "Right over there."
"Got it, thanks."
They slowly made their way back down, Matt telling them exactly where to step as he could sense which footholds were strongest and which were coming loose. Casey reached the cave entrance first, squeezing through the slight gap. He had to hold up his hockey stick, which had apparently travelled with him. They all had something that came with them when they suddenly appeared here. T.J. had a rifle on him with a bayonet attached on the end which confused Matt. Not for the bayonet itself, though that was odd, but the aura around it. The metal didn't feel natural to him, like nothing he'd ever felt before. It reminded him slightly of when the Chitauri had invaded New York and he'd felt their metal. It was different from any other metal on earth which made sense. And this gave him the same sense, a metal made a different way. But the other it felt familiar was, remarkably, from Danny Rand and the way his fist glowed. That energy…well, it wasn't the same here. But there were similarities. Whatever that bayonet was made of, it wasn't natural.
Matt, on the other hand, had arrived in full costume so he had a bit more trouble squeezing through, even by sensing the best angle to enter. He knew T.J. still had questions about it and even Casey though to a lesser extent. From what Matt had gathered, wherever T.J. came from, it didn't have the kind of heroic figures that Matt was used to who dressed up like this. To be fair, he still couldn't really believe he had started dressing up like this but life was full of surprises.
Whatever the case, he was grateful. While one would think that dressing in a full-body suit in this heat would be murder, Luke Jacobson had actually done a marvelous job on it so it ventilated quite well. The heat was still bad, but not as bad as it could have been.
As soon as he was in the cave, Matt tasted the air. The air was still dry, parching his lips even more, but he managed to get just the smallest taste of dampness. "This way," he said, heading down further into the cave, feeling them descend.
"Damn it, I can't see a thing now," he heard Casey complain.
"Don't worry, the path is very easy to follow. Just follow my voice," Matt told him.
"I still don't really understand how a blind man can see so well."
"Yes, that is a little strange," T.J. agreed.
Matt chuckled, having gone through similar conversations many times before. "I can see, just not with my eyes. My other senses are so enhanced that…well, I can see way better than you."
"Huh. Actually, I think I get it. A few good friends of mine and even some others I know can do stuff like that," Casey said. "Weird. But cool."
"And helpful. Are we getting closer, by the way?"
"I think so." Matt tasted the air again and the dampness seemed slightly stronger, though that could be desperation at this point. He had gone the whole day in the desert without water after all. "A little ways further."
He continued to lead them down. He felt the air currents change when other tunnels opened up but ignored them, feeling them only lead back outside. With every step, he did feel like the dampness on his tongue was increasing so he hoped at the end of this there was in fact water and that it wasn't some sort of wild goose chase.
He took another step and then stopped, tilting his head. "Hold on," he said, stopping the others as well.
"What is it?"
"Shhh," he replied, listening carefully. Someone had just entered his radar range from the caverns below him. By the way their feet were slapping the ground in such a hurried manner concerned him. He started walking again, all the while focusing in on that person, trying to get as many details as possible. Soon, he could discern their breath and it was coming out in quick pants. Their heartbeat was also irregular, beating loudly and fast. They were scared and obviously running away from something.
It didn't take long for Matt to figure out what that something was.
"Move!" he roared and started running.
"Huh?"
"Where are you going?"
But Matt didn't answer. He didn't have the time to. Because something new had entered his radar sense, something…big. Monstrous even. Even from here, Matt could hear the muscles and tendons snapping and straining. He could hear the earth shaking with each footstep. And he could hear the voice.
"Run as you much as you want, little girl. Just makes it more fun for me when I tear you apart."
The other person didn't respond, her short breath revealing to Matt that she was probably running on fumes at this point. They needed to get there fast. He still couldn't quite make out all the details but he had enough right now to know if they didn't do something, the girl would die.
Still, the last person he'd faced like this had been Jen. And she'd gone easy on him. This guy obviously wouldn't.
He explained the situation as quickly as he could to the other two, all the while following the battle below them carefully as well as mapping out the landscape. The beginnings of a plan were forming in his mind just as they reached the ending of the passage, entering a much larger cavern. Matt could sense crystals all around that gave off a sort of signature that reminded him of neon lights except without the hum. He supposed they were a source of light here. But none of that was important as the earth shook again, the big guy missing the girl by just an inch this time. She tried to fight back with some sort of fan in her arms but it had no impact, the blade barely penetrating through all the muscle.
"Oh my god," Casey muttered.
"What manner of monster is this?" T.J. murmured.
Matt didn't know for sure what they could see but his extra-sensory vision was telling him enough. The being seemed to be as big as the Hulk except his muscles kept shifting around. Matt knew with the Hulk or Jen that when they transformed, their muscles grew with them. But with this guy, his muscles weren't just growing, they were snapping and extending and wrapping around him, even thickening, amplifying his strength to colossal levels. Every strike of his shook Matt's body even from this distance.
Just who the hell was this guy?
The girl he was chasing did a backflip, landing smoothly on a nearby rock right before the place she'd been standing was obliterated.
"I wonder how long you can keep this up," the muscle man laughed. "As for me, I could do this for hours on-"
BAM!
Matt flinched at the sudden noise behind him. He'd been so distracted by the muscle guy that he hadn't noticed T.J. raising his gun.
"T.J.!" Casey barked. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"I don't really use the bullets too much," he said. "But I needed to get his attention."
"Why?"
T.J. looked at him like he was crazy. "Because he's the enemy."
"Well, you certainly got his attention," Matt muttered, getting his billy club ready.
The bullet had done nothing to the muscle man, barely making a dent in the flesh of his shoulder. But it had gotten his attention as he now turned to them, his whole aura promising violence.
"Well, seems we have some company. Wonderful. This is getting funner by the minute."
"More fun," Matt muttered more to himself, still working on that plan. If bullets couldn't penetrate that guy, Matt was pretty sure his club would be useless. Again he was reminded of Jen and his fight with her that had ended as soon as she used her thunderclap. So, he'd have to stay agile, keep out of the guy's way. But for how long?
The muscle guy suddenly lunged and Matt instinctively moved, feeling the change in the air. The guy was much faster than he let on and if not for Matt's senses, he would be dead as he just managed to dodge the massive fist coming for his head. Instead, it smashed through a pillar of rock.
"Another quick one, huh? How annoying. Still, seems like you're just as weak as her. Isn't there anyone who can give me a real fight?"
Before Matt could reply, he heard the scrape of dirt as T.J tensed just before running forward. "CHARGE!" he bellowed, leveling his bayonet. Matt expected the muscle guy to do something, dodge or go on the attack but instead he just let the bayonet come right at him.
"You really think that little thing ca-" he laughed just as the bayonet struck his arm. "YOW!" he cried out and Matt knew why. The bullet hadn't done anything, but somehow the steel bayonet cut right through the muscle tendons as if they were made of butter, piercing all the way to the hilt.
"Ha!" T.J. cried out. "That's how it's done in- WHOA!" he yelled as the muscle guy wrenched his injured arm as well as the bayonet and T.J. with it up into the air.
"How dare you!" he roared, preparing to slam T.J. back down. Matt rushed forward before he could, flicking the switch on his billy club at just the right angle so that it shot out, striking the muscle guy right in the face where there were no muscles to protect him, causing him to stop and stumble back in surprise, lowering his arms. T.J. took the opportunity to drop down, landing awkwardly.
"I need the gun back," he said.
"We're not killing him," Matt said firmly.
"What? Why the hell not?"
"I don't kill. Ever," he replied firmly.
"Well that's nice but he's doing his very best to kill- Whoa!" he suddenly exclaimed as the muscle guy's fist shot out. It was only thanks to Matt's super senses that he was forewarned, able to yank T.J. out of the way in time.
"DIE!" he roared, swiping at them again. Matt dodged again and backed way up.
"Do you have a plan to take him out or are you just going to keep up your stance until he kills you?" T.J. asked.
Good point. Unfortunately, Matt still hadn't worked out the details of his plan. Since he wouldn't kill him, he had to incapacitate him somehow. But it wasn't like they were strong enough to break through all that muscle to knock him out and they couldn't drop anything on him. Matt wished there was some trench or pit they could lure him to but his senses were coming up negative.
This guy's power was truly incredible, the way his muscles kept snapping and tearing before reforming, wrapping around him in several layers of protection. Matt wondered if even the Hulk could break through all that. It seemed tougher than a steel wall. But there had to be a weak point.
"Stay still!" the man roared, trying to bring his fist down and failing again as Matt leapt out of the way.
"You're very persistent," Matt said.
"You're about to be very dead!"
"Not if you keep hitting like that," Matt told him, easily avoiding another strike.
"Why you- huh?" the muscle man stopped as a small rock struck him on the side of the face. He turned to see Casey standing a little ways away, his hockey stick out. "Seriously?" the man laughed. "You're attacking me with a stupid stick? This isn't a fight, it's a damn massacre."
"And yet you haven't killed a single one of us yet," Casey told him.
"Don't worry, I'll destroy you all in good time."
But Matt wasn't listening to them at all, completely focused on what his nose was telling him. He could smell it in the air. The scent of blood. The muscle man's blood. Right where Casey had struck him, on the side of the head. Not a lot, barely a smear. But it was there.
Of course. The head wouldn't have too much protection since there were no muscles to grow there. But even as Matt realized that, he sensed the muscles below stretching up to form a barrier around the man's head, protecting it. So, unless they could rip all that open, the head wasn't really an option. But still, it had given Matt an idea. If the head was a weak spot, there were others too. Areas where there were no muscle.
A loud crash shook him from his thoughts, the muscle man smashing through several large stalagmites to get at T.J. now who had managed to get his bayonet back and was now stabbing at the larger man, his weapon still managing to cut through the muscle fibers with ease. Still, Matt could sense that with every fiber torn, another one rose up just as fast. And he could also sense the muscle man tensing his legs, preparing for something.
"Look out!" he cried, rushing forward and jumping the last few feet towards T.J. just as the muscle man raised both arms skyward before bringing them down crashing down with extreme force.
The ground erupted from the blow, cracks spreading all over the earth and the whole cave shaking wildly, as if hit by an earthquake. Matt grimaced, having just barely gotten T.J. out of the way. But the impact had sent them both flying for a second there and being so close meant they'd been caught in the blast. The soundwave and resounding shockwaves messed up his senses. He could still hear, but there was a lot of buzzing in the background now that distorted what he was picking up. And he had a hard time filtering through everything he was feeling right now. He grunted and coughed, getting up on his feet, trying to shake it off. There was still a lot of dust and sand in the air. And he was picking up something else now. An…opening. He could feel a new waft of air flowing in from above. Muscle man must have broken through a weak spot. Not that it mattered as it was way too small for them to escape through. No, there only option was to fight.
It happened so fast that only Matt's instincts kept him alive. He sensed the fist coming at the last second and ducked aside. He was just a fraction too slow as the fist glanced off him, still sending him rolling away. He'd managed to avoid the worst of it but his ribs were now throbbing in dull pain. Just great.
"So, I take it you're some sort of hero." Matt could practically see the smirk on the man's face as he walked up. "I'm really going to enjoy killing you. Killing your kind is kind of my thing."
"Is it now? You seem to be doing a poor job of it so far. So who are you anyway? The Muscle Man, cause that's what I've been calling you."
"Just Muscular. And I can control every part of my muscles all over my body. I'm far stronger, faster, and greater than you could imagine. It's a miracle you've lasted this long."
"People said that about my career as well, but I still wipe the floor with them," Matt replied. As confident as he sounded though, he knew he was in real trouble here. There was no way he could match this guy in speed or power. He just needed to find the right way to take him out. And for that, he needed more time. "So what brings you all the way into the desert?"
The man snorted. "Hell if I know. One second I'm sitting in my cell, the next I'm standing out in the open air. Don't know how it happened and I frankly don't care. I'm free again to do whatever the hell I want. And right now, that starts with killing yo-"
BAM!
Matt flinched at the loud boom as T.J.'s rifle went off, the bullet striking the hard muscle around Muscular's head and barely penetrating.
"Ha!" the man laughed. "Is that all you've got? Then-"
Muscular lifted up his arms to attack and Matt moved, seeing his opening. Muscular saw him move but was too slow as Matt dove before striking up with his leg as hard as he could right between all the muscle layers where the man had no protection.
"OOOOHHHHH!" Muscular roared, clutching his crotch, slumping down a little. As he did, Matt sensed many muscle fibers retracting, especially around his head.
"Now!" he cried out.
Thankfully, the others all understood. T.J. quickly reloaded his rifle as Casey whipped out his hockey stick and Matt readied his baton. But all of them were slow in comparison as a new figure rushed forward, faster than even Matt's senses could react. They ran past him, leapt up onto a rock, and jumping for Muscular, kicking him across the head hard and almost sending him toppling, the man just catching himself. But he didn't have a second as Matt's baton and a rock sent soaring from Casey's hockey stick struck him in the head as well. He stumbled once, grunting in pain, before slamming backwards into a stalagmite and tripping onto his face.
"Aw man," T.J. grunted, walking over. "I didn't get to do anything."
"Well maybe if you didn't rely on that old relic there."
"Hey! This is a gift from my father."
"So? That doesn't mean-"
"Quiet!" the other figure said, one now realized was the girl Muscular had been chasing. Judging from what his senses were telling her, she couldn't be older than 18. And yet she was that fast and strong. He was impressed. "This isn't over," she informed them.
"What are you talking about? He's down for the cou-"
"She's right," Matt interrupted. Already he could hear Muscular's heartrate shift and sense the man regaining focus. "We need to leave. Now."
"Huh, but shouldn't we-"
"We're not a match for him. We've taken him down right now, but that won't last," Matt explained.
"I'm sure one shot from my rifle can-" T.J. began but Matt stopped him.
"No!" he said firmly. "I don't kill."
"Hey, he's a monster who just did his best to kill us," T.J. told him.
"So we're going to be like him now?" Matt shot back. He knew what T.J. was saying. He had sensed it in Muscular himself. He reminded Matt too much of Fisk, a man who didn't care who he trampled on his own path, who just did as he pleased, killing whoever got in his way. And Matt had come close to crossing the line to end Fisk once and for all. But he managed to hold back, to not destroy who he was. And even if leaving this man alive might come back to haunt them, he refused to even think of going near that line again. So he grabbed T.J.'s rifle and held firm.
"What the hell are you doing?" T.J. demanded. "Let go!"
"Not until you stop," Matt said.
"I've been dealing with threats like this my whole life and well into the afterlife too," T.J. said, making Matt frown in confusion. "I've been in too many battles to keep count. And trust me, I get it. The want to spare a life. But people like him? All they'll do is bring more death. If we had the option to somehow restrain him, I'd be all for that. But…"
"Guys!" the girl interrupted. "Whatever you decide to do, do it quickly! He won't stay down for long!"
"I'm all for getting the hell out of here," Casey added. "I'm not really down with hitting a guy once he's-"
It happened so fast that Matt didn't have time to react. One second, Muscular was on the ground, prone. The next, he was up, his arms swinging around mightily. Matt went flying, striking a stalactite before sliding down to the hard ground. He heard the thump of someone landing next to him, sensing it was T.J.
He could make out the girl nearby who seemed to be the only one who evaded the blow. And Casey?
He hissed. Casey had taken the worst of it. Matt could hear the bones cracking beneath the skin. That wasn't good. But he couldn't even think about it as he heard the heavy footsteps of Muscular approaching.
"You got the drop on me there," the man said, teeth grinding. "But you made a fatal mistake in not finishing me off when you could. I won't be returning the favor."
"Like we'd even give you the chance!" T.J. cried, charging forward. "I'll send you straight to Hel!"
"T.J., no!" Matt yelled, trying to get up but wincing from a bolt of pain.
Muscular moved so fast it was hard to keep track, his fist lunging forward and grabbing T.J. tightly, crushing his arms to his sides. "What's a little pipsqueak like you going to do, huh?" he asked.
T.J. couldn't speak as Muscular began crushing him in his grip. Matt winced, hearing the bones and muscles straining, ready to snap at any second.
"Let…him go," he managed, rising up to his feet.
"Just hold on there, I'll get to you in a second," Muscular told him.
Matt growled and then hurled his Billy club as hard as he could, aiming right for the villain's face. But Muscular's neck muscles simply stretched out and deflected it. Then, just as fast, he grabbed Matt round the middle with his free hand and yanked him upwards, crushing him as well.
"Any last words?" he asked, leering down at them.
Matt opened his mouth, either to say something witty or curse him or make a prayer or something when he heard it. He'd been so focused on the fight with Muscular that he hadn't noticed it before but now that he heard it, it was like a trumpet in his ear.
Another heartbeat. A strong one, beating hard and fast. And from right above them.
CRASH!
"Get back you foul villain!"
Matt inhaled a rush of air as Muscular let go, the ceiling crumbling right above them and a large, well-built man leaping down from them to land a blow right in Muscular's face, sending him flying a few feet backwards.
"Never fear, brave soldiers!" the man declared. "You fought valiantly. Now let my strong fists take it from here!"
"And just who the hell are you?" Muscular growled, getting up.
"Who am I?" the man cried, and Matt blinked, not sure if he was right but was positive the man was turning in place to show off his muscles, flexing for everyone there. "I am Major Alex Louis Armstrong and now, homunculus, I will take you down with the alchemic art passed down the Armstrong line for generations!"
Armstrong had had a rough day and a half. He'd been walking down the hallway, greeting his fellow officers, when he was suddenly in the middle of a desert. He thought he'd been pulled through some transmutation circle, like what had happened during the Promised Day. But he found no evidence of that and was forced to wander around, looking for shelter from the heat. He'd been fortunate to find a well with a little water left in it but had to defeat a monstrous creature with wings and scales. He had seen some people in the distance moving about but they had been too far away and had shortly disappeared from view, looking like they'd been flying. He kept wondering how he ended up here and what was happening but couldn't find anything. Then he wound up here, at the base of a craggy mountain, where he'd heard crashing sounds, like an earthquake. Or a battle. So he investigated, using his alchemy to tunnel his way down to the source, finally breaking through to a cavern where he saw what could only be some sort of muscled up homunculus attacking a group of noble young warriors. So, like any major worth his salt, he decided to step in and lend a hand.
"Let's see if you back up those words, moustache!" the homunculus growled at him right before charging forward at max speed.
Armstrong, however, had seen the man tensing his legs and was ready. He turned and grabbed hold of the villain's arm, using his momentum to hurl the larger man over his shoulder and into several stalagmites and stalactites. He grunted a little, the man's muscles a bit heavier than expected.
"You…you're not stronger than me!" the villain said, rising back up.
"Let me show you what true strength is. Taste the Armstrong alchemic art!"
Armstrong whipped several stones into the air and then punched every single one of them right at the villain, each one turning into an iron spike thanks to his alchemy. The villain hissed, holding his arms in an X shape in front of him, his muscles snapping and reshaping to create a shield around him that made the spikes bounce right off. A few stuck for a second or two but couldn't penetrate the fibers.
"You're a tough one," Armstrong said. "But no matter. I'll find your weakness and take you down, foul villain."
"You know, only one person has actually been able to back up those words to me," the man said, lowering his arms. "He gave me a real fight. Let's see if you can do the same."
"Gladly."
The two charged at each other, fists raised. But, as the muscle man's fist came towards him, Armstrong ducked under it just enough to avoid it and launched his own right into his opponent's face, only to have it blocked by a layer of muscle. Undeterred, he hurled several more punches but each one was blocked in the same fashion.
"Hmph, quite the predicament I see," Armstrong stated. "It seems I'll have to hit you a lot harder to force you to surrender."
"HA!" the muscle man laughed. "With those weakass punches? There's no way-"
"HIYAAAA!" Armstrong roared, his fists raised again. This time though, instead of punching the muscle man, he punched the ground. And with each impact, a pillar of rock shot upwards in the shape of a fist to strike the man. In the face, in the arms, in the chest, in the legs, wherever they could reach. Armstrong never let up for a second, continuously striking the earth and using his alchemy to bombard his enemy with the stony fists. Some of the fists crumbled on impact, others were only chipped, and some managed to remain unscathed.
The muscle man grunted under the barrage, attempting to move forward but unable to, constantly trying to evade or stop all the punches. He was getting hit all over in rapid succession and while it wasn't doing as much harm as Armstrong wished, it did seem like it was wearing the man down.
Unfortunately, using this much alchemy in such a rapid amount of time also wasn't good as he could feel it beginning to tax him greatly. But he refused to stop or even slow down.
"This is…nothing!" the muscle man grunted, straining against the punches. "If this is…all you've got…then…this is over- GAH!" he cried, one fist managing to land a blow on his face.
"Well, now that I've softened you up, here comes the real treat!" Armstrong declared, changing his alchemy up so that instead of fists, the pillars all had spikes at the ends of them. Unfortunately, they did not penetrate like Armstrong was hoping for but he did notice they made more of an impact, cutting through some of the muscle fibers.
"These…AGH!" the man cried, whipping his arm across to break through several pillars striking him. "These won't stop me! Nothing can break through my muscle."
"We'll see about that!" Armstrong cried back, hitting the ground as hard as he could and launching an even bigger pillar out, this one made of solid iron and hardened with his alchemy. It struck the man in the chest, managing to impale him. The man reared back, blood spurting from his mouth. Armstrong grinned behind his moustache and sent the pillar as well as his foe hurtling all the way across the cavern into the wall, cratering it on impact.
Armstrong stood tall. He knew this wasn't over, not by a long shot, but he hoped that that at least would wear his enemy down a little. And it gave him the chance to check in on his newfound companions.
"How are you doing, my devilish looking friend?" he asked, kneeling down to the man in the red-and-yellow armor.
"Fine…thanks to you," the man replied. "We would have died."
"Well have no fear for I will take care of this monstrous homunculus without fail!"
"I don't know what a homunculus is, but Muscular can control all his muscle fibers at will to grow and expand around him any way he wants to the point where it's almost impossible to break through them. We managed to land a hit on his head and his groin where the muscles weren't but I think he's onto that now."
Armstrong nodded, absorbing all the information. "Thank you. Now, gather the rest of your compatriots and make haste towards the exit." He eyed the wall, seeing the cracks growing along it as well as his iron pillar. "I fear this area may soon become hazardous to you all."
"You…might need some help," the other man coughed, lifting up his rifle.
"No, good sir. You are in no condition to fight. Now-"
"I'LL CRUSH YOU!"
Armstrong glanced up to see the iron pillar shatter and the man called Muscular come flying from the wall, fist raised. Except he wasn't going for them. Instead, his fist was raised to strike the helpless young man off to the side and the girl by his side.
Armstrong moved, faster than he realized, purely on instinct. He launched himself across the cavern and just managed to land in front of the two before Muscular's fist came down, his own hands raised up to catch it. He nearly cried out from the strike, his arms shaking on impact. He'd known from before that he wouldn't be able to go fist-to-fist against this monstrosity. Muscular's strength far surpassed his own. And now, his prediction proved true as he felt his own muscles as well as his bones and ligaments bend from the intense pressure. This was like going up against Sloth and that had been a fight that had nearly cost Armstrong his as well as his sister's life.
"Ha!" Muscular grinned triumphantly. "If there's one thing you can count on, it's for a hero to do the noble thing."
"Striking people…when they're not even fighting…such a cowardly move," Armstrong grunted, doing his best to hold the homunculus at bay.
"Then I guess you really won't like this move."
Armstrong's eyes widened as he saw Muscular's other fist come round but before he could move to block or evade, it hit him right in his hip, the force sending him smashing through several stalactites into the cavern wall. He cried out as he landed, feeling a sharp pain from his side. Some ribs definitely broken there and he was cut up all over, bleeding in a few areas.
"LOOK OUT!"
Armstrong glanced up and just managed to move his head in time, Muscular's fist demolishing the stone where it had just been.
"You're a fast one," the homunculus grinned. "Good. Makes it more fun. You are proving to be a challenge."
"I'm glad you're so invested in this. Because I promise you, I won't go down easy!"
"Don't make promises you can't keep!" Muscular roared, and grabbed Armstrong around the middle, squeezing him tightly against his chest. Armstrong yelled out in pain, his entire side feeling like it was on fire. But he couldn't let that distract him. He had managed to keep his arms free, holding them out of Muscular's grip.
"You may be stronger than me," he grunted, readying himself. "But that means nothing without the skill to use it right."
"Wha-"
Armstrong lunged forward, grabbing Muscular around the neck to slam their heads together as hard as he could, the top his hitting Muscular in the center.
"AAAGGGHHHH!" Muscular roared, instantly releasing Armstrong to clutch at his face, blood dripping down from his nose and mouth. "You bastard!"
"You left yourself open," Armstrong informed him. "What a foolish mistake."
Muscular glared furiously at him. "You little…!"
He swung mightily but his fist only struck air as Armstrong dropped to the ground, his fist meeting the ground and his alchemy bursting forth, a new pillar of rock growing out at high speed to strike Muscular right in the space where his muscles weren't.
His kneecap.
"ARRGGHHH!" Muscular cried, his leg buckling as his knee gave out, falling down just as Armstrong rose back up, his fist meeting Muscular's jawbone in a mighty clash.
"Gah!" Muscular stumbled back and almost fell over but landed on a stalagmite that broke his fall, keeping him just upright. He shook his head and rubbed his jaw. Armstrong glowered, fists raised for the next bout.
"You actually do live up to the hype you set, I'll give you that," Muscular told him. "But it will take a whole lot more to beat me."
Armstrong wasn't so sure about that. As much as he was trying to hide it, Muscular had been weakened by that blow. Another hit like that and he just might go down for good. If that was the case, then Armstrong needed to be quick since he didn't think Muscular would be caught off guard like that again. And even if he did, would he stay dead. Armstrong shuddered to think if he had a Philosopher's Stone on him. It had taken everything to beat Sloth and only with the aid of his sister as well as Izumi and Sig Curtis at the last minute. He didn't know if he had it in him to go that long.
Then he glanced around and saw the others still there, staying as far away from the fight as they could. But given the power of their opponent, that didn't seem to be possible.
Armstrong felt a fresh wave of energy course through him. For them to survive, he would gladly give his life. He may not know them at all, but he sensed their spirits when they fought Muscular and knew they were true warriors. Right now, he just needed to give them the opportunity to escape and buy them the time to use it.
"Fine then," Muscular growled, drawing Armstrong's attention back to him. "Let's get serious."
Even more muscle fibers ripped out from his flesh, wrapping tightly to form an unbreakable barrier around him. Armstrong grimaced from the sight, not liking it one bit.
"Normally, I would commend someone on their level of valor as well as their muscular stature. But the way you fight is practically blasphemous to all those with respectable muscles. I will take you down before you sully that image anymore."
"You certainly are a weird one. But so long as you keep giving me a real fight, I don't really care."
"Oh I'll give you a fight alright. But first thing's first. Let's see how fast you get out of this one."
Armstrong slammed his fist into the ground and it shook from all the alchemy he poured into it. He concentrated hard, forming an enormous pillar right beneath Muscular to lift him up high and slam him into the ceiling before he could realize it, the rocks above shaking. Armstrong grunted from the strain, still feeling his ribs throbbing in pain.
"Go young warriors, now's your chance!" he informed them. "I'll hold off this foul opponent of ours. Just leave!"
"But we can-"
"No!" Armstrong interrupted the girl. "This fight is beyond you. Do not worry. I will handle this personally."
As he spoke, the ceiling shook again, Muscular's angry shouts audible. Armstrong kneeled down and placed his hands on the ground, letting his alchemy flow so that the earth rose up in a giant pillar beneath him, lifting him up quickly for him to meet his enemy,
But even that wasn't fast enough as the pillar holding Muscular exploded, rock and sand spewing everywhere. Muscular glared down at Armstrong approaching, the muscles on his right arm snapping together.
"I think I've had just about enough of you. Now die!" he roared, leaping down towards him.
Armstrong, his hands still on the ground, shifted his alchemy quickly so that instead of moving up, he was suddenly moving to the side, catching Muscular off guard and letting him fall past him instead.
"Damn, think you're clever don't you?" Muscular said as they both landed back on the ground.
"I wouldn't be a Major if I didn't have some battle sense," Armstrong replied. "Just be glad you're not facing my older sister or else you'd already be dead."
"Oh don't worry, I'll meet her someday. When I hand over your head to her on a platter!"
Muscular charged again and Armstrong slammed his hands down to use his alchemy to send several large spikes his way. But this time, Muscular was ready for them. He brought his fists down hard, but not on the spikes but the earth instead, cracking the ground apart and creating a large shockwave that knocked Armstrong back. Almost instantly, Muscular was charging again and this time Armstrong was too slow to prepare for it. As the heavily muscled fist came for him, all he could do was raise his own fists up to meet it.
If he was half a second slower or even a tiny bit weaker, he wouldn't have been able to pull it off. But as Muscular's fist came down, he managed to grab it and twist it just enough to the left so that it hit the ground instead of his face.
He allowed himself a second of relief before launching his own attack, firing his own fist upwards to Muscular's exposed face. But, just as fast, the man's neck muscles rippled out and caught his fist, blocking it.
"Not falling for that again!" Muscular declared.
Armstrong grimaced as Muscular shifted, all his muscles congealing in front of him, forming one massive shape ready to crush him. "Now I'm going to bury you alive," Muscular promised.
Armstrong struggled, catching the muscle to try and push it off but it was like holding up a mountain, the weight threatening to flatten him. He grunted, his own muscles feeling like they would snap at any second. He couldn't even move his hands away now to perform alchemy or else he would be crushed, though he felt like he was going to fail any second now.
Was this it? Was this the end for him?
"Now DIE- Gah!" Muscular suddenly cried out. Just like that, the pressure released and Armstrong could breathe easier again. He quickly moved out of the way and looked over to see what had happened, blinking at the sight of the girl straddling Muscular's neck with a torn cloth from her shirt wrapped around his mouth.
"Get…off…him!" she growled, yanking back with all her strength.
"I thought I told you to leave," Armstrong grunted, getting on his feet.
"And I chose…not to listen."
Just like my sister, Armstrong thought to himself, smiling a little behind the moustache. But those feelings quickly evaporated as Muscular began grabbing behind him madly. The girl managed to evade him at first, leaning back as far as she could to avoid the hands. But he was too fast for her, just managing to snag her leg before latching onto it.
"You little pest!" he cried. "Time to di-"
Armstrong didn't let him finish, punching down as hard as he could towards Muscular's other knee, hitting it inwardly so that the bone crumpled.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Muscular screamed, practically collapsing. He released his grip on the girl who leapt away to safety. He landed on his hands, propping himself up, but that didn't last long as Armstrong charged him, both fists clasped together above him until he brought them down in massive strike on the top of Muscular's head, flooring him.
"You will fall, homunculus!" Armstrong declared. "No matter what unholy powers you possess, you cannot match the true strength of a warrior spirit. Now-"
Muscular swung out with his arm and Armstrong was too slow, the blow catching him in the ribs and sending him flying.
"Do you ever shut up?" he glared. "Not that it matters. You'll be dead in a-"
ZIP!
A small, red object suddenly appeared, wrapping tightly across Muscular's face. Armstrong blinked, seeing it was a baton of some sort with a cord attached that was now cutting deeply into Muscular's nose, causing him to cry out in pain. Armstrong followed the cord towards another baton in the hands of devilish-armored figure who was being dragged across the ground slowly from Muscular's power.
"You little-" Muscular roared.
BANG!
Armstrong almost jumped at the gunshot, seeing the young man with the rifle now firing it point blank at Muscular. It was a noble effort but the aim was off as most of the bullets missed the face, instead striking the upper muscle.
"You think any of this will stop me?" Muscular bellowed. He moved to flex his body, to rip himself free from the baton, when Armstrong sent another large spike into his stomach, doubling him over from shock and pain. "AAAGGGHHHH!"
"Now, homunculus, let me show you the difference between you and me."
"Huh?" Muscular groaned as Armstrong charged.
"Your strength may surpass mine in terms of raw power and you may think that because of that, your victory is assured. But you lack true courage or valor. You are no warrior. Just the sad imitation of one. It's time you learned a lesson of true strength and power."
Muscular growled fiercely, yanking the baton cord off. "I'm going to obliterate you," he promised.
"Give me your best shot, monster," Armstrong replied before rushing forward, Muscular charging to meet him.
Right before they clashed, Armstrong watched all the muscle fibers across Muscular's body wrap around him to form a gigantic wall of muscle threatening to crush him. But he was ready for that, dropping to the ground and laying one hand on the rock, creating another large pillar to smash into Muscular.
"That won't work!" Muscular roared, crushing the pillar swiftly.
"It wasn't meant to," Armstrong said, having moved to the side and now created another pillar that this time smashed into Muscular's hip, causing him to stumble and cry out a little. "You put all that muscle out front in that attack, even blocking your face so you couldn't see my movements. Very sloppy. And despite your grandstanding, there is a limit to your power. You put as much muscle fiber to your front, leaving your sides more exposed. What a poor soldier you would have made."
"SHUT UP!" Muscular roared, charging again.
Armstrong hefted up a loose rock with one arm, wincing from the pain in his ribs, before placing his hand on the ground and shooting upwards on a new pillar just as Muscular reached him.
"You can't run!"
"Wasn't planning on it."
As Muscular smashed the pillar, Armstrong leapt off it, positioning himself midair just above the homunculus. He aimed the large rock and smacked it with his fist, already reshaping it into an iron spike that drove down into Muscular's back.
"YYYYAAAAAHHHHHH!" Muscular screeched, flailing around to remove the spike. As he did, blood began seeping to the ground.
"Just as I expected," Armstrong said, landing smoothly. "You're overusing your muscle fibers, leaving too many spots vulnerable for a frontal attack."
"Shut…up!" Muscular said, managing to rip the spike free. While the wound may have been superficial, it had shredded many of his muscle fibers, forcing many of them to snap back, leaving bare skin behind for a few seconds before Muscular replaced them.
"I see now," Armstrong said, readying himself. "Those aren't true muscles, but mere fabrications. You have too many spaces between your muscles, leaving them open and vulnerable. You think the strength you will wield is enough to overcome that weakness or perhaps you simply ignore it. What a foolish mistake."
"I…will…kill…" Muscular said, his body brimming with rage.
"Time to end this." Armstrong raised his fists and then brought them down, striking the ground hard. As soon as he did, a spike shot out and struck Muscular right in the space between the muscle fibers. The spike wasn't big enough to do any true damage, but it did make Muscular flinch and cause those fibers to retract.
Armstrong struck the ground again and again, each time bringing up a new spike. He had tried this move before but that time those blows had been random, striking at Muscular merely to try and wear him down. Here, each attack was precise, Armstrong directing them to the open spots between the muscle strands. The weak spots.
"GAH!" Muscular cried, trying to work up a defense. But it was no good, the spikes, penetrating deeper and deeper with each blow. His muscles were snapping away faster than he could replace them. His power was depleting rapidly and he couldn't stop it.
"True power isn't overwhelming strength, but the skill to use it effectively," Armstrong said firmly, finally letting up, seeing most of the muscle strands gone. "Now, I believe it's over."
"You think this is enough to stop me?" Muscular roared. "I will-"
Armstrong struck the ground one last time and the earth beneath him shot up and across, sending him soaring right towards Muscular with his fist raised high.
"What?" Muscular cried, lifting his arms and forcing his muscles out to form a defense.
But was he was far too slow, his muscle fibers worn out.
SLAM!
Armstrong's fist connected solidly with Muscular's cheek, sending his whole face rolling back before his body followed suit, smashing down to the ground. As soon as he did, all the muscles strands peeled back, disappearing from view.
"And that, my fallen foe, is what true muscle power looks like," Armstrong declared, flexing his arm out for him to see, if he was awake that was.
Then, the adrenaline fading, Armstrong slumped to the ground, breathing heavily. "That took more out of me then I realized," he huffed, wincing at the pain across his body. "Damn homunculus. Or whatever he is."
"Here, drink this." He looked up to see the young woman holding a small canteen. He took it and gratefully drank from it, the cool water a welcome relief.
"My thanks, young warrior. I've barely had anything to drink all day."
"I got lucky. When I arrived, there was a small stream nearby and I was able to collect some of it."
Armstrong focused on her words. "Arrived you say? So I assume you too have no clue as to how you came to be in this desert?"
She shook her head sadly. "One minute I'm on guard duty, the next I'm out in the middle of nowhere."
"Same with all of us," the devilish man said, helping his wounded comrade with the strange stick sit down. "Just popped out here."
"Some foul alchemy to be sure, though not one I'm familiar with," Armstrong said. While he had seen a type of teleportation used before, this was very different from what the Father had done during the Promised Day.
"We'll figure that out later. What do we do with him?" the man with the rifle asked, gesturing to the fallen Muscular. "Last time we left him alive, he attacked us almost immediately. But since some of us," he glanced over at the devilish man, "have certain ethical values, we also won't be killing him. So what do we do with him?"
"I'll handle this," Armstrong replied and lowered his hand to the ground once more, letting the alchemy flow out and surround Muscular. The earth moved up and around him, completely surrounding him until he couldn't be seen except for his head and the tips of his feet. Then, Armstrong flexed and the earth turned shiny and metallic, having turned into solid iron. "There, that should hold him. For now at least." He turned and blinked at the expressions the others all had. "What?" he asked.
"How did you just do that?" the rifle man asked curiously.
"The composition of the ground changed," the devilish man commented though he wasn't even looking at it. "Never thought that could happen."
"An earthbender, huh?" the woman said. "That'll be useful around here. Though a sandbender would be preferable. Still, I didn't know you could turn the earth into metal like that. Toph would be jealous."
"Earthbending?" Armstrong questioned. "No, that was just alchemy. As your friend there stated, I changed the composition, the molecular structure, of the earth into pure metal. Should hold him."
"Alchemy?" the girl asked, tilting her head. "Never heard of that. Fascinating."
"Never heard of alchemy?" he asked, surprised. Then that must mean he was in a foreign country where they had a different name for it or something. Though that didn't mean much since she had also been sent here. It was just good fortune they spoke the same language. "Whatever the case, we had better move. Find a place to rest up."
"Good idea," the devilish man said. "First thing's first. I'm Matt, Matt Murdock. This is Casey Jones and that's T.J. over there."
"Yo."
"Hello there."
"Major Alex Louis Armstrong, at your service," Armstrong replied, saluting.
"Ah, I thought I recognized another soldier," T.J. said, grinning. "Good to be fighting alongside you major."
"Another soldier, huh? What unit are you with?"
"Currently a member of Squad 19 as part of the Einherjar, but I used to be a Private in the Fifty Fourth Massachusetts."
"Hmm," Armstrong. He hadn't heard of Massachusetts before but the boy's uniform and the way he held himself did remind Armstrong of the soldiers, especially the Briggs men under his sister. "An honor to fight beside you as well. And you?" he asked, turning to the girl.
"I'm Suki," she said. "Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors."
Ember didn't know long she'd been lying there. It seemed like both minutes and hours simultaneously. She wanted to get up but she was too tired, her body too battered and weak. She could barely lift her head. And she definitely didn't have the energy to shift back into her human form.
They had narrowly escaped Vader but they'd been forced to leave Barbara behind. As well as the others he'd killed. Only she and Amani had escaped. After that, Ember had flown as fast as she could, wanting to put as much distance between them and the red-bladed killer as possible.
Of course, that was just the start of their troubles. A few hours into the journey, they were attacked by some weird demonic creatures that swarmed them, hacking at Ember's armor. They were nimble creatures, avoiding almost all of her attacks, and there were dozens of them. Eventually, Ember had been forced to retreat, using her wings to gain an advantage. Still, they trailed after her for hours on end, never giving her a break.
Long into the night she'd flown until she finally managed to lose them. But, luck still wasn't on her side, as just after that she'd flown right into a strange white creature with a figure riding it. It looked like a bird but it had no real scent except something clayish. She tried to fly away again, not wanting any trouble, when suddenly a whole flock of the weird things came after her. And when they got close, they exploded.
Ember could still feel it. The heavy scorch marks and burns across her body. Whatever those explosives were, they were powerful, cutting right through her scales. Amani, as she had done with the other creatures, had tried to help but one explosion had gotten too close and only because of her sand was she just able to shield herself but it still knocked her out with injuries Ember had no idea how to take care of.
It was only thanks to a nearby canyon that she had managed to escape, ducking through all the paths and gorges until she holed up in a small cave, waiting for the danger to pass.
That had been hours ago. She had tried crawling out to get some water from a nearby stream but had collapsed right outside, the effort too much for her. Her body was riddled in pain though some parts were beginning to go numb. Was that good or bad? She was too tired to care. She just wanted sleep but she wasn't sure if that was good or not.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Something was approaching. Something big. She should move, get back to the cave. She had Amani with her, still injured and unconscious. Ember had to protect her as well. She had to get them to safety. But the strain of moving was still too great. She couldn't do it.
She felt the shadow cross her eyes and wanted to look up but the strain had gotten to her and she instead closed her eyes, letting oblivion take her. So this was where she died, on an alien world with a strange sand girl she'd met the other day. She wished she could see Garrett and Riley again. But she supposed, at least this way, she would reunite with Dante. She hoped he was waiting for her, ready to admonish her for all her mistakes right after giving her a big hug.
Yes. Yes, that would be nice.
But apparently, that wasn't too be as the next sensation she felt was some kind of shaking. She blinked her eyes open, the harsh light of the sun blinding her for a few minutes. She was able to take a glance around and was shocked to see she was riding on the back of a blue and red semi-truck.
"Do not worry," she heard a strong, almost metallic voice say from the front of the truck. "You are safe now."
Ember wanted to believe it, but in this crazy new world, safe didn't feel like it had any real meaning.
Characters:
Spider-Man and Hermione currently together attacked by Sinestro and prepping against Voldemort.
Conan, Jessica Cruz, and Boba Fett held captive by Vlad Menshikov and Saruman.
Harry Potter under attack with Luke Castellan, Chewbacca, Frozone, Cassandra Cain, Kuvira, Marina, Legolas, and Groot by mysterious jet.
Percy fought alongside President Superman, Toph, Ahsoka Tano, Jon Snow against Emperor Superman and Homelander.
Korra traveling with Wonder Woman, Ben Grimm, Nico di Angelo, and Liza, separated from Hela.
Barbara Gordon currently held prisoner by Darth Vader alongside Polybotes, Aurra Sing, and Balk.
Ember the dragon and Amani escaped Vader together.
Steve Rogers and Rex are working together.
Arya Stark and Lin Beifong are together.
Zuko, Nia, Thalia, Shazad, and the Mandalorian are together.
Thanos and Uraraka are together.
And I'm back! I am so sorry for the massive delay. Did not mean for a year to pass by before my next chapter. Really not cool on my part and I promise to do better. Updates should be more regular from now on.
Hope this fight was worth the wait. For the past year, I've watched plenty of anime so expect to see more characters showing up from shows like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, One Piece, Naruto, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, and Fairy Tail.
Until next time, which should be soon, thanks for sticking with me, hope you liked it, and please leave a review if you can.